After a course of 10 miles from the point where it quits this lake, the Jordan enters the Sea of Tiberias, Lake of Gennesareth, or Sea of Galilee of the New Testament. This lake is from 12 to 15 miles long, and from 6 to 9 miles wide. It is surrounded by mountains, and all travellers describe its scenery as exceedingly beautiful. The water is cool and clear, and contains a great quantity of excellent fish. Its margin is the resort cf innumerable birds. The course of the Jordan is distinctly traced in a smooth current right through the middle of the lake.
The Jordan flows from the southern angle of this lake through a narrow valley, the level of which is lower than that of the large valley around it, which we have before spoken of as the valley of the Jordan (El Ghor). This lower valley is about three-quarters of a mile in breadth, and is covered with trees and luxuriant herbage. In the winter it is inundated by the river. In the summer the Jordan is fordable iu many places. Its course when it leaves the lake is very rapid, but it diminishes In speed as it proceeds. At its junction with the Dead Sea it is 200 or 300 feet broad. The whole course of the river is about 150 mike, taking into account the windings of the stream.
The very remarkable lake which receives the waters of the Jordac occupies the site of the plain of Siddim, where stood Sodom and the other cities which God destroyed by fire in the time of Lot (Gen. xi.. 3 ; six. 24, 25). The Dead Sea and its desolate shores are already fully noticed in the article DEAD SEA.
The following are the meet important tributaries of the Jordan am its lakes. On the eastern aide the Yarmak, or Mandhur, the Hierome of the Romans, and the Jabbok ("Geis), both of which flow westwurc into the Jordan, the former entering it a little to the south of tin Lake of Gennesareth, the latter at a point about half-way betweez that lake and the Dead Sea ; and the Arnon (Modjeb), which flow into the Dead Sea, dividing Palestine from the land of Moab. 01 the western aide, the Brook Daphne, which flows into the Lake Samo chonitis ; the Brook of Caperuaum which flows into the Lake o eieoueeereth; the Brook Aenon, which riaes in the mountain's o Ephraim and flows into the Jordan between the Lake of Tiberias an the Dead Sea; and the Brook Kedron, which flows from the Mount o Olives into the Deed Sea.
The chief rivers which fall luto the Mediterranean are the Beim which flows into the modern Bay of Acre a little to the south of Ptolemaie; the Kishon, which flows from Mount Tabor through the plain of Jezreel, and falls into the same bay at the foot of Mount Calmer; the Choreaue and Kanah, which fall into the sea on the north and south of Caesarea respectively ; the Jarkon, which falls into the sea at Joppa; and the lithe)] and Beeor, which fall into the sea near Askelon and Gaza respectively. The extreme southern limit of the coast is formed by the River of Egypt, which is supposed to be the Brook El-Arieh.
Climate.—The climate of Palestine is temperate and the weather is not very variable. Thera are, properly speaking, only two seasons.
The winter lasts from October to the beginning of April, and is dies tiuguished principally by continual showers, which aro called in Scripture the early and the latter rains. In summer, which lasts from June to September, there is a continuance of clear weather, with scarcely any rain ; but very heavy dews fall in the night.
Political Dirizions.—The political divisions of the country were very different at different periods of its history. The first notice we possess of the country is when Abraham came from Mesopotamia to dwell in it It was then inhabited by the Cauaanites, who were divided into the families of the Sidonians, Hittites, Jelausites, Amoritee, Girgasit-s, Invitee, Arkites, Shiites, Arvadites, Zemerites, and llama thites. Of these, the Sidoniaus inhabited the strip of coast about Sidon, between Lebanon and the Mediterranean, being a part of the district known in history under the name of Phoenicia ; the Hittites dwelt about Hebron ; the Jebusites about Jebua or Jerusalem ; the Amorites in the mountains west of the Jordan ; the Girgasites about the upper part of the river round Gergese.; the Hivitea in the country to the north of Shechem ; the Arkites around Arca, and the Sinites near them; the Arvadites in the little island Aradue ; the Zemarites and Hamathites about Sin.yra and Bernath. The Philistines inhabited the ten-coast in the south-west of the country. The land of Canaan having been conquered by the Israelites after their departure from Egypt, Joshua divided it by lot among the twelve tribes. Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of 31anasseh had their possessions on the east of the Jordan ; the other tribes were located on its western side. Reuben was bounded on the south by the river Amen, and on the north by the tribe of Gad, which inhabited part of the laud of Gilead about the river Jabbok. On the north of Cad the half tribe of Manasseh extended to Mount Hermon and the sources of the Jordan. The whole of the southern part of the country, between the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean, was at first allotted to Judah ; but this district being disproportionately large, the western part of it was given to Simeon and Dan. The small territory of Benjamin was bounded by Dan ou the west, by Judah on the south, and by the Jordan on the east, and contained within its limits the city of Jeru salem. Ephraim possessed the country about Shechem, between the Mediterranean and the Jordan. To the north of Ephraim lay the second half of the tribe of Manasseh, also extending from the Medi terranean to the Jordan and on the coast us far north as Mount Carmel. Issachar had the valley of Jezreel, to the north and east of Manasseh. Zebulon lay next to the north, bounded by Asher on the west and by the Lake of Gennesareth on the east. The land of Naphtha lay about the sources of the Jordan, north of Zebulon and east of Asher, which last tribe possessed the sea-coast about Tyre and a part of the valley of Lebanon.